Gone in 60 Seconds
by phantomcsiwriter
Summary: A car wreck changes everything. Character death warning but not one of the team. Set before G/S official pairing and also before Warrick or Sam died, think Season 5ish. Mostly darkfic with friendship and angst. Hints of mild G/C romance later
1. Chapter 1

AN: AU but again set before Warrick's death and before any mention of G/S becoming a couple

AN: AU but again set before Warrick's death and before any mention of G/S becoming a couple. Also CHARACTER DEATH WARNING, not one of the team though.

Chapter 1/14

"What now," Gil Grissom complained as his cellphone started ringing. It was just after ten in the morning and he had just settled in after a busy night shift to get some much needed sleep. Looking at the ID on the phone he saw that it was Jim Brass calling, "Grissom," he answered the phone, wondering what the detective could be calling him for at this time of day.

"Hey Griss, I'm calling from an accident scene on the strip, and uhhh..." Jim started, trailing off, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

"It's dayshift now Jim, call them." Grissom responded irritably as he laid back down to snuggle into his pillow, already ready to go back to sleep.

"There's three dead teens here." Jim replied, his voice cracking as he relayed the information. The tone in his voice as he said it effectively causing Gil to sit back upright. Jim was a hardened detective and had been on many a heartwrenching scene where he had refrained from showing any emotion. Even as his mind raced searching for answers as to why Jim had called him about this, a cold feeling of dread began settling in his stomach.

"Gil, one of the victims is Lindsey Willows." Jim finally said, his eyes moistening even as he finally said it aloud, hearing the sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone.

"Are you sure Jim, positive?" Gil asked in disbelief, knowing there had to be a mistake.

"There was a student ID card in her purse, and there's no mistaking that the girl on the card and in the accident are the same. Though we did call the school to make sure she wasn't there, and they confirmed she wasn't. Jim reviewed the steps they had taken. "I thought you should be the one to tell Catherine, I'm not sure..." His voice trailed again as he continued to battle his own emotions at the scene.

"How did it happen?" Grissom asked, needing more answers before he could even let it sink in.

"Unofficially, seems like an accident, teen driver at the wheel, lost control of the car, ended up hitting a wall. She just got her license last week, none of them were wearing seatbelts." Jim gave all the details he could at the moment, his voice almost returning to normal as he returned to the basics of the case.

"You're positive Jim," Grissom said one more time as he tried to digest the information, feeling tears burn his eyes even as he started accepting it.

"You think I'd call if I weren't." Jim said, his heart heavy at hearing the pain mirrored in his friends voice. "You'll tell her?" He asked, wanting to make sure Grissom had accepted the task before he hung up. After receiving an affirmative answer, Jim hung up the phone and turned back to sadly survey the scene just as the bodies were being loaded onto the stretchers.

All thoughts of sleep were gone as Grissom felt the waves of grief began to wash over him as he pictured the last time he had seen Lindsey. It was only a couple of weeks ago when he saw her dashing out the door to the school bus as he was giving Catherine a ride home from work. She had been wearing a yellow t-shirt and jeans, her hair pulled into a ponytail, he had marveled for a second about how fast she was growing up. She had waved at him with a smile on her face, asking him when he was going to come over and spend time with her again. He had promised it would be soon as he began backing out of the drive, making a mental note to talk with Catherine about it later, only they had gotten busy and he had forgotten. He felt the emotions of grief, guilt, and anger all washing over him at once as he tried to process the information, wondering how he could tell this to Catherine, he knew she was strong, but was afraid for a moment that this could actually break her.

Catherine had finally drifted off to sleep after the long night shift and was more than a little irritated when she heard the knocking on her door. Seeing her supervisor on the other side she yanked it open prepared to tell him off for interrupting her much needed sleep. But the look on his face stopped her cold. The red-rimmed eyes and haggard look telling her something was very wrong. The man who hardly ever let his feelings show was in obvious pain about something. Taking his hand she immediately led him to the couch. "What's wrong?" she asked, sitting close, still holding his hand as she watched him struggle to find words. "Is it your Mother?" She had to ask as she could see him fighting back tears.

Realizing he was only going to make it worse the longer he dragged it out, Grissom managed to straighten and took her hands in his own before fighting to speak. "There was a wreck on the strip this morning," he began slowly, "three teenagers were killed." He said, taking a moment to gather his inner strength for what he knew he would have to say next.

"I'm sorry Gil, I know kids getting killed is hard," Catherine tried to sympathize, though she was having difficulty figuring out his reaction after the numerous cases they had shared that involved children, knowing he didn't usually get that emotional.

"Cath, I'm sorry, but Lindsey…" was all he could say before he choked on his words. Catherine watched him strangely for a moment as she tried to figure out why he was mentioning Lindsey in relation to the wreck.

Even as her mind started connecting the two and what he was trying to say, she started shaking her head no. "Lindsey's at school, she left just an hour ago." She said loudly, pulling back from him angrily.

"Jim checked, she's not at school, he's sure it's her." Grissom said, his voice hollow as he watched her becoming more and more angry. "I'm so sorry Cath," he tried to comfort her as he waited for the grief to hit.

Ignoring his attempts she pulled away from him, standing up abruptly as she moved away from him, what almost looked like hatred burning in her eyes. "How dare you lie to me like this, I thought you were my friend." She accused him. He was taken aback by her response, he had expected tears, some anger, but he hadn't thought of her going into denial this quickly. "Look, we'll go to the morgue, I'll prove it isn't her." Catherine said resolutely as she grabbed her purse and headed towards the door. Grissom followed dejectedly, but knew it was something that had to be done, both for acceptance and also to positively identify the body. He almost allowed himself to feel a spark of hope that maybe Jim was wrong as he climbed into the drivers side of his Denali to make the drive to the lab.

Catherine was oblivious to the sympathetic looks and averted eyes as she stormed down the halls of the lab towards Dr. Al Robbins domain. Word had spread fast around the lab and by now everyone knew about the tragedy that had hit so close to home.

"Catherine, I'm sorry…" Dr. Robbins said as he met her in the hallway, his face grave as greeted the two CSI's. Even though she had not invited him to come with her, Grissom was staying close at her heels, knowing she would need support sooner or later.

"This will only take a minute Doc, I've just got to show Gil how wrong he is and then we'll leave. Catherine said forcefully as pushed by him into the morgue, quickly approaching the sheet draped body that was under the lamp ready for examination. Whisking off the sheet she turned with a triumphant look, "see it isn't her, looks nothing like her," she proclaimed as she indicated the dark haired girl laying on the table. Before Doc Robbins even had to tell her that this wasn't the only body she turned to look at it again, her lip starting to tremble as she recognized one of Lindsey's best friends. "Lizzie," she mumbled in disbelief as she looked again at the girl on the table before casting a look around the room to the other two tables in the preparation area.

Almost as if in a daze she started walking towards them, instinctively picking the one on the right. Grissom steeled himself for what they were about to see as he walked up behind her. He tried reminding himself that he was supposed to be the strong one as he watched her pull back the sheet. The shriek that followed was one only a grieving mother could emit as Catherine laid eyes on the still face of her daughter. The room started to sway as she suddenly found herself unable to balance correctly, she felt strong arms wrap around her from behind to give her the support she needed as her knees buckled, she continued to scream as the strong arms kept holding her, though her eyes were closed as she was blinded by grief the image of her daughter was still frozen in her minds eye.


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: I could not respond to all emails privately received through PM function, so am taking opportunity to do so here. I received multiple PM's in response to my earlier summary which referred to my preference of G/C over G/S. I did not mean my summary to sound like bashing, I do believe to each their own in shipping. I'm just honestly speaking that I never saw the allure of that particular pairing, but just my opinion. Also trying to make it clear this was written well before that even happened. Have modified summary somewhat and apologize to anyone who was offended by my comment of "the good old days" before Sara walked out of Grissom's bathroom. And now on to the deep dark angst of Lindsey's death… oh and if any GSR fans do want to read, there is no Sara bashing in the story._

Even though he had tried to prepare himself, Grissom had still been taken by surprise at the amount of pain he had felt as the sheet had been pulled away. Even as he held Catherine he felt like sinking to the floor himself as he continued to gaze at Lindsey; he wanted to turn his head, and yet he couldn't. It wasn't until Doctor Robbins came and discreetly pulled the sheet back that Grissom could look away, turning his attention back to the sobbing woman in his arms.

It took great effort to find the strength to move as he slowly pulled her back up, trying to lead her to the door, his eyes meeting the sympathetic blue ones of the doctor as he did so. It could have been his imagination but he thought he saw some moisture in the older mans eyes. Catherine didn't protest as he guided her towards the door, so absorbed in her grief she did nothing more than keep her face buried in his shoulder as he prepared to take her back home.

"Wait just a minute," Dr. Robbins said as he was rummaging through his desk, pulling out a prescription pad and hurriedly scribbling something on it before tearing off the sheet. "She might need this." He said gruffly as he pressed the valium prescription into his hand. Gil nodded his thanks as he clutched the piece of paper before turning back towards the door. He barely registered the couple approaching the morgue with dread written on their faces as they passed in the hallway.

The lab watched silently as they emerged from the morgue corridor and started making their way to the exit, both oblivious to the sympathetic stares of the people who watched them walking by, Catherine with her head still buried in Gil's shirt as he kept a protective arm around her, neither realizing at all how much they looked like a pair of grieving parents.

Conrad Ecklie was not known as being the most compassionate person in the building, but contrary to popular belief his heart was not made of stone as he stopped the couple before they could leave. "Catherine, I'm so sorry," he said haltingly, thinking of his own children as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "Take all the time you need." He finally said, awkwardly patting her shoulder. She looked at him for a moment with red-rimmed eyes before silently burrowing her head back in Gil's shoulder. "You can take some time also," He said quietly to Grissom, "just give me an idea of how long."

"I'll call later." Grissom agreed, before returning to his task, knowing that the ordeal had just begun as he helped Catherine back to the car.

They rode in silence back towards her home with Grissom making only one brief stop to fill the prescription as he watched Catherine try almost desperately to compose herself during their ride, something she had been failing miserably at ever since they had left the morgue.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Lily asked when she saw her obviously distraught daughter being escorted into the house.

At the sight of her mother a fresh wave of tears overtook Catherine as she tried to find the words to break the news for the first time. "Lindsey was in a… a… wreck," she stuttered through her sobs. Lily began shaking her head no and backing away even as she realized what Catherine was trying to tell her.

"No, no," she began repeating, still backing away in shock and horror as she tried to avoid what she already knew was coming next.

Lily Flynn wanted nothing more at that moment then to flee the house and pretend that nothing had happened, but seeing the agony on her own daughters face she knew what she had to do as she stopped backing away and instead held out her arms almost tentatively as she moved towards her daughter. Catherine needed no further encouragement as she moved into her mothers embrace. Grissom backed away, watching the two as they clung to each other and swayed together in their private grief. Marveling for a moment at how the enormity of their loss had apparently wiped away the usual controversy between Catherine and her mother.

Grissom began to feel out of place the longer he stood there, he didn't want to go as he felt she might still need him, but knew that he was not a substitute for her mother. Surmising that family was what she really needed right now he laid the drugstore bag down and began to move towards the door, intent on a quiet exit instead of interrupting the moment.

Sensing his movement Catherine pulled away from her mother to look at him. "You're leaving?" She said, the question hanging in the air as the look in her eyes told him she didn't want him to go.

"No, I don't have to," he said slowly, "if you want me to stay that is?"

"If you could stay, maybe help with the phone." Catherine said almost hopefully, she was unable to even think about facing anyone else yet, and it would only be a matter of time before concerned friends and family started to call or visit.

"Sure," he said quietly, ready to help his friend any way he could. He watched as the mother and daughter slowly moved to her room to continue their grieving as he sat on the couch, suddenly feeling more helpless then ever before.


	3. Chapter 3

Catherine had been right, it hadn't been long before the phone had started ringing. Fortunately they had thought to unhook the phone in her bedroom leaving Grissom in the living room with the cordless. Between the concerned calls from people at the lab, he had called the family members from a list Lily had supplied him, and called the nightshift to let them know what had happened, putting Warrick in charge until his return.

After a couple hours of making calls and answering the phone he saw a deflated Lily finally exit her daughter's room. Stopping at the table she wordlessly opened the prescription bottle and took a valium from it before getting a bottle of water and giving Grissom what appeared to be a grateful look before retiring to her own room.

The frequency of the phone calls had started to slow, allowing the emotions to again start affecting Grissom. He walked around the living room to stretch, freezing when he saw one of his favorite photographs of Lindsey and Catherine that had been taken at a lab picnic. His heart wrenched as he softly reached to trace the lines of the young girls face, fighting back the lump rising in his throat before he was rescued by the barely audible knock at the door.

Opening the door he saw a very tired looking Jim Brass standing there, notebook in hand. "You have more details?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, I need to talk to Catherine now if she's able?"

"She's asleep I think, I'll go check." Grissom offered as he stepped back to allow the man to enter the house and turned towards her room. After only a few steps he halted and turned back to look at Brass. "How bad are the case details?" He asked, wanting to know ahead of time how much this could further affect Catherine.

Jim looked around briefly, knowing that protocol called for him to inform family first, but in this situation he was willing to bend the rules so Grissom would be more prepared for Catherine's sake. "We have witnesses who say they saw Lindsey and her friend Elizabeth Schaeffer exit the school and get into a blue Toyota, apparently being driven by Elizabeth's older sister Elena. A friend at school stated that the girls were bragging about cutting school and going to the mall instead." Jim relayed some of the basic information, almost grateful for the chance to practice before repeating it to Catherine. Taking a deep breath he continued.

"Elena had just turned seventeen and had been driving for about three weeks. Her parents characterized her as a careful driver and they had no problems with letting her drive as long as she obeyed their rules of not going near the strip during rush hour and the state laws of not driving from 10pm-5am. According to the evidence and eyewitness accounts, it appears that before Elena got to the strip she was driving a little fast, the girls were singing, laughing and urging her to keep going faster. She did so for about two minutes before she went just a little off the road on the right, but the problem really began when she started overcorrecting to get back into her lane, which in turn sent her into an oncoming lane of traffic. She quickly swerved back to the right causing them to hit a curb. At this point she was unable to regain control of the car causing them to hit a concrete wall head on." Jim stated the facts the best he could, pausing to clear his throat.

"They hit the wall at about 60 mph, if only they had been wearing seatbelts they would have most likely all survived with only minor injuries." Jim said sadly, having seen one to many senseless deaths that could have been prevented by seatbelts.

Grissom digested the information as best he could. "Is that all?" He finally asked quietly.

"Yes, I have to tell you the dayshift did a remarkable job on this," Brass answered honestly. Ecklie himself supervised, letting only the best CSI's and techs touch it. He insisted all other work be put on backburner in lieu of this case, and followed every detail making sure it was done to the letter." Jim said. "Not that he had too, because every single person was already giving it their best effort." He finished.

Grissom pondered his words for a minute, thinking for a moment that even though they had their differences, Conrad Ecklie was apparently human after all when it came to the care of his employees. Something else began nagging at his mind as he mulled over Jim's description. When it came into focus the thought caused him to look at the detective with narrowed eyes before asking his next question.

"Jim, how did you know about the laughing, the singing, them urging her to go faster, the things going on inside the car?" He asked, voice lowered in case Catherine or her mother had woken up, knowing that even the best forensics didn't usually turn up quite that much detail.

Jim grimaced as he prepared to answer the question, having already known that this would not have escaped the trained mind of an investigator like Grissom. "Elizabeth had an ipod, with a recorder. We probably wouldn't have even caught it except that Greg was still in the lab." He said, letting the implications sink in. "Greg insisted on handling it, and then turned it over to Archie when he realized there was a recorder."

"You mean their last moments are on tape?" Gil asked incredulously.

"Yes, the entire wreck, from the laughter to the screams, and then the silence. It survived the wreck intact." Jim said, shuddering even as he said it, still trying to erase what he had heard from his mind.

Grissom considered it for a moment before speaking again. "I don't think we should tell Catherine about this yet Jim, she's already fragile. Do you honestly think she can handle hearing her daughter's last moments and death on tape?"

"Sounds like the same thing Ecklie said," Jim replied with a wan smile.

"For once I agree with him. She can listen to it later perhaps, but she can't know about this right now," Gil insisted.

"She won't hear it from me." Brass agreed as Gil stood, almost angry as he thought about it. "It was good evidence, but much to personal for a case like this. " He thought as he began to approach Catherine's door. "I'll get her," he said simply as he gently knocked on the door before pushing it open when he received no response.


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: Thanks for the reviews. And this will lighten up a bit in another chapter or two._

Chapter 4/14

Grissom watched Catherine as she slept, curled into a tight ball holding onto a stuffed animal he recognized as once belonging to Lindsey. He hated to wake her and interrupt her brief respite from the emotional pain she was suffering.

As he watched her continuing to snuggle with the stuffed panda he noticed the remnants of tears still on her face. He observed how wildly her hair was strewn across the pillow as she remained oblivious to his presence. Just as he was considering the best way to wake her, an alarm clock sounded causing him to jump slightly. He watched as she groaned before sitting up sleepily, turning off the alarm before noticing him. "What are you doing here?" She asked in apparent surprise as she stretched further into wakefulness.

"Jim's here and needs to talk to you, so I came to wake you up. I didn't know about the alarm." He said quietly as he watched her, studying her closely as she seemed to be waking up rather casually considering the events of the day.

"I always set my alarm for 4:00 that way I'm up when Lindsey gets home from school." She said, looking at him strangely as she tried to process why he was in her room.

Grissom could tell the precise moment that the flood of awareness hit her as the grief stricken look returned to her face.

"It wasn't a nightmare?" She stated, already beginning to shake from the aftershocks of the realization.

His heart went out to her as he saw the agonized look return to her eyes as they silently pleaded with him to tell her it really was all a dream. Moving to her side he put his arm around her, holding her as she began to sob anew. "My baby is dead," she said brokenly, saying it out loud for the first time as she started trembling harder before she repeated it again.

Knowing he had to break her mantra Grissom shook her slightly to bring her attention back to the reason he was there. "Jim's outside, are you ready to talk to him?" He asked, hoping to redirect her focus for just a minute. He didn't want to seem cold, but knew he had to help her get through this next part of the formalities.

Catherine sniffled a couple more times, as she struggled to pull herself together. Grissom was amazed at how quickly she was able to transform herself as she went to the bathroom to wash her face and then rejoined him to return to the living room to meet with Jim to go through what she knew had to happen next. So many times she had been the one present as a detective had to break the news and share accident details with family members who had lost loved ones, but now it was her turn. She almost felt as if she was watching from the outside as she numbly sat down next to Grissom on the couch. She listened quietly and absorbed every detail as Jim gave an edited version of what had apparently happened that morning. After he finished he paused to allow her time to ask any question she might have.

"Are you sure it happened that way?" She asked after he finished. "Did you check to make sure there weren't any other drivers involved? Did any of her friends say why she was skipping class to go to the mall? How long did it take rescue to reach the scene? Why weren't they pulled over? Did she die on the scene or on the way?" Once she started, the questions seemed to spew from Catherine's mouth as she tried to make sense of what Jim was telling her. Though her voice cracked with the last question and she couldn't ask any more.

"Yes we're sure that's the way it happened," Jim answered her solemnly. "We have eyewitness accounts that rule out a hit and run, also there was no other paint on the car. And there was no time for them to be pulled over it happened so suddenly. Rescue reached the scene in less than five minutes, but according to Doctor Robbins she died on impact. She probably didn't feel a thing it happened so fast," he tried to say gently, trying to ignore the memory of those final terrified screams he had heard on the recording. "Cause of death was massive head trauma," Jim continued slowly, "when the car hit the wall at that speed all three girls were thrown through the windshield and into the wall. The sisters were apparently in front seats and Lindsey was leaning through the middle." He had anticipated her next question from the look of surprise in her eyes when he mentioned all three of them being thrown out the front.

"Thanks Jim," Catherine finally said, unable to think of any more questions for the detective, knowing that he had told her what she needed to know as best he could, and knowing she could trust him to tell her the facts. The pain had been evident in his eyes as he related the events. She knew he could easily have sent someone less involved to handle it, but appreciated that he had done it himself, and that at least, the details had come from a friend, not a detached officer.

"Catherine, if you need anything…" He started after a moment of silence, feeling the futility of his words even as he said them. What she needed was the one thing he couldn't deliver, and that was to have her daughter back.

"Thanks Jim," she said sadly, trying to show him she appreciated his offer, even though she too realized that there was really nothing he could do, nothing anyone could do right now.

Jim gave her a warm hug before stepping back to say his farewell. "Take good care of her," he said to Grissom as he left. He knew that Gil would, but it still seemed the right thing to say as he watched how protectively he stood by her.

"Would you like something to eat, or drink?" Gil offered after the detective had parted, pushing away his thoughts of Lindsey for a moment to focus on her mother.

"No, I just want to go back to bed," Catherine said slowly as she looked longingly at her bedroom door, already wanting again to escape the reality of what had happened.

"When was the last time you ate?" Grissom persisted, knowing that if she had followed her normal schedule she hadn't eaten since midnight during their shift.

"I'm not hungry." She reiterated, almost angry that anyone could think of food at a time like this.

"Look, why don't you take a relaxing bath and then go back to bed." Grissom suggested, trying to think of something to try and help her feel better.

"Gil, I just lost my daughter, I really don't want to fight with you about what I should be doing right now," she said dully, the pain evident in her eyes as she looked at him. "I know what I need, and that's to go back to bed." She said slowly, even as she opened her bedroom door and shut it behind her, escaping to the cool darkness of the room.

Grissom stood rooted to his spot outside her door as he heard her begin to sob anew as fresh waves of grief enveloped her. Hoping he was doing the right thing he turned and went to the kitchen.

When he returned to the door several minutes later he could still hear her sobs which told him she hadn't yet gone back to sleep. He rapped gently before opening it up to see her curled almost in a fetal position as her shoulders shook from the force of her crying.

"I brought you something," he said gently, causing her to sit up warily as she eyed what he had in his hand. "I know you don't have an appetite, but you don't need to get sick on top of all this. It's just a strawberry-banana smoothie to help keep your blood sugar from dropping." He coaxed her as he neared the bed. She didn't argue as she sighed and wordlessly took it from his hand, drinking it mechanically, not even tasting it as it went down. "Thought you might want this also," he added as he opened the bottle of valium and extracted one tablet to give her. "It'll help you sleep better." He stated the obvious, even as she took it without argument. After she finished the smoothie she handed the glass back to him, trying to ignore the nausea she felt from having something on her stomach.

Grissom hoped he wasn't overdoing his caretaker role as he went into the bathroom to get a wet cloth, knowing from experience with his migraines how much difference a cool wet cloth over your face could make. She again offered no words, yet no resistance as he helped her place it over her forehead before quietly exiting the room to let her gain a few more hours of escape. He thought he heard a soft "thank you" behind him as he left, but he wasn't sure.

As he sat down again on the sofa he realized just how tired he was also. It had been almost twenty four hours since he had last slept. He also knew that while things were quiet now, in a few more hours her sister Nancy would be arriving. She had been on a business trip in southern California when Grissom reached her with the news and she was already on her way back. Deciding he should catch at least a little sleep while he could, he curled up on the couch, closing his eyes. He tried in vain to avoid the images trying to flicker across his minds eye like an old home movie he saw Lindsey in her mothers arms at the hospital, then learning to ride her first bicycle, performing in a school play, laughing at her birthday party, waving at him in that yellow shirt just a few days ago, and then the awful image of her still body from their visit to the morgue. Even in a state of exhaustion and near sleep he could feel the burning of tears pricking his eyes as a few escaped and trickled down his cheek before sleep claimed him.


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: Basing information on Catherine's sister from pilot episode which mentioned her having a younger sister named Nancy and nephew Jeremy. The rest is creative license._

Chapter 5/14

Grissom woke from his restless sleep as he heard the front door opening and saw Catherine's sister slipping quietly into the house.

"I'm sorry," Nancy said as she saw him sitting up, obviously slightly startled from the intrusion. "I didn't want to wake her in case she was sleeping so I just used my key." She explained, still whispering as she walked closer to him. "How is she?"

"About as well as can be expected, I guess." Gil said honestly as he looked towards the closed bedroom door.

Without further questioning Nancy walked towards the door, slowly pushing it open to see if her sister was awake. Seeing that she was still asleep, she backed out and re-entered the living room. "What about Mom?"

"Last I saw her she took a valium and went to her room also." Grissom replied quietly, also keeping his voice down to not awaken anyone.

"She'll be out for a long time then, she has no drug tolerance at all," Nancy stated knowingly before uncomfortable silence enveloped them both. They had met a few times, but it wasn't like they had ever really taken time to get to know each other.

"So can you tell me more about what happened?" She finally asked, having only gotten the barest of details from the phone call.

Grissom briefly related the events of the wreck to Lindsey's aunt and offered her a tissue when she started to tear up at the news. Nancy had a reputation for being the strong one, always dependable and level-headed from what Catherine had said. Grissom watched as she worked to compose herself before focusing back on the situation.

"I'm so glad you could be here with her," she said, turning her attention to Grissom. She knew little about him, but did know that he had been a friend of her sister's, as well as her boss for many years. Catherine had once described him simply as an enigma and watching him more closely Nancy could certainly see why. The look on his face almost seemed to be scrutinizing and yet there was no indication of what he might be thinking at the moment as he studied her.

"There's so much to do," she started talking, changing the subject again to keep a conversation going. Making arrangements at the funeral home, getting the house ready for all the guests; she started ticking off the list on her fingers as she began planning things.

"She was certainly detail-oriented," Grissom thought as he listened to her rattle on about all the things she would need to do. While listening to her he knew this was the way some people responded to stress and that Nancy was feeling grief like the rest of them. She was just able to channel it for the moment into the needs of others. He found himself wondering when the two girls had switched places as Nancy seemed to display more of the traits of a firstborn. She assumed the role of leader, apparently being responsible, organized, following family expectations and rules. Whereas Catherine seemed to be more outgoing, creative, and a risk taker, who had confided in him once that she didn't feel she could measure up to her sister in her mothers eyes. All of which were traits more often associated with the youngest sibling in a family. He was jarred from his analysis as he realized Nancy had just said something to him. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said that it's been good of you to be here, but I know you've got to go back to work, and I'm sure you're tired, so it's ok if you want to leave now." She repeated herself, hoping she didn't sound rude. She wasn't trying to throw him out, but could tell he probably wouldn't be comfortable after the onslaught of family members began. If he studied everyone else the way he did her, she was quite sure they wouldn't be the most comfortable either.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He said almost absentmindedly as he stood to go; part of him wanted to stay by Catherine's side. But the more logical part of his brain told him that it was his time to go, he had done all he could for now and needed to let her cope with this surrounded by her family. "Tell her if she needs anything she can call. Will you please keep in touch with me about arrangements." He asked as he scribbled his cell phone number down for her before picking his keys up off the table.

"Of course," she promised warmly as she escorted him towards the door.

Grissom looked at his watch and seeing it was after 10 p.m. impulsively decided to go to the lab. The team was not only two people short, but he also knew they would want to know how Catherine was holding up.

He was unprepared for the amount of attention his arrival would bring as he was almost immediately swarmed by concerned coworkers with questions about Catherine. After assuring them all that she was handling it as well as could be expected and numerous promises to keep them informed he made it to his office and shut the door for a moment to regain his equilibrium. It amazed him that he had been here less than twenty-four hours ago and how drastically everything had changed in such a short time.

The knock on the door brought him back to reality, opening it he saw a concerned Warrick standing there expectantly. "How is she?"

"Devastated of course, but surviving." Grissom answered briefly, though wishing he knew how she was at that very moment. He had been away from her less than an hour and was already feeling pangs at the separation and not knowing how she was that very minute.

"I'll go round up everyone in the break room," Warrick offered. "It's been a slow night and this way you won't have to keep repeating yourself.

Grissom nodded in agreement and steeled himself to go face the team. He automatically knew that they would already know more about the details of the wreck than he did. But knew they had all cared about Catherine as well as Lindsey, and were also feeling a loss.

After apprising them all of how Catherine appeared to be coping and that she was with her family he started fielding the questions, "how long before they could go see her, would it be ok to call, and so on." Deciding it wasn't too late yet he dialed Catherine's number, correctly surmising that Nancy would pick up on the first ring. He asked how she was and briefly told her how the team wanted to come by and see Catherine the next day. Everyone watched as he listened quietly for several minutes before saying "thank you" and hanging up.

"She said Catherine is still asleep but there's a lot of family supposed to arrive tomorrow. She thinks it would be best if we wait another day." He relayed the message to the group.

"We're her family too." Nick grumbled at the announcement, receiving nods and murmurs of agreement from his fellow CSI's.

"I know," Grissom sighed, feeling some relief that he wasn't the only one feeling shut out right now, before deciding to turn back to what he did have some control over. "So is there anything else about the case that you can tell me?" He asked, feeling morbid even for asking, but knowing that even though he couldn't be there with Catherine he could make sure no stone was left unturned.

He was surprised at how thorough Jim had been in his explanation as nothing the team told him came as a surprise. Everyone agreed with what Jim had said about Ecklie having gone above and beyond in handling this case with care. The only thing that came as a surprise was when Greg indicated that the box of personal effects from the vehicle, including the ipod, were still located in the lab if he wanted to go through them and the car had not yet been towed from the garage. Since it was not a criminal case and had already been thoroughly processed and logged, there was not a concern about Grissom tampering with the evidence.

Grissom knew it was a bad idea even as he heard himself asking to see it, feeling he had too and yet already dreading it as Greg rose to get the box for him.

He stared at the small cardboard box placed on the table in front of him, amazed at how little there was left from something that seemed so catastrophic. Deciding to forego the box for now he chose to go to the vehicle first. With silent looks of agreement the team stayed behind, knowing this was something he would have to do alone.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: It does start lightening up a bit after this chapter_

Even though it didn't take him long to realize the car had indeed been thoroughly processed. Grissom went over it again with a fine tooth comb. He tried to ignore the pang he felt at the shattered windshield and all the blood, while seeing that the interior of the car was relatively undamaged. "If only they had worn their seatbelts," he couldn't help but think before trying to regain any sense of objectivity towards the vehicle.

After analyzing every detail of the car he could see that it apparently happened exactly the way as had been described to them. Not that he had doubted it so much, but still had felt a need to be sure of it himself, both for his sake and for Catherine's.

Arriving back at his office, he saw that the case file had been placed on his desk, along with the box of belongings taken from the car. Still leaving the box until last, he started going through the file. He scanned it slowly, agreeing silently with all the verbal reports he had received about how well Ecklie had ensured the case was handled. He felt a lump in his throat as he scanned Doctor Robbins autopsy report, confirming what Jim had already said about the cause of death. He fingered the USB jumpdrive sealed in a small evidence bag and stapled to the folder; logic telling him this was the ipod recording taken from the player, but he couldn't bring himself to listen to it just yet.

Taking a deep breath to try and steel himself against what he knew was coming next he opened the box, seeing the three bags inside with the girls names written on them. He first looked through the Schaeffer sisters' bags, noting the ipod contained in Elena's bag, before moving on. He knew he was going to look in the third bag, yet felt himself trying to avoid it at the same time. Finally he pulled it to him, trying to ignore how his hand trembled as he opened it to empty the contents on his desk. His heart lurched as he saw the familiar pink purse land in front of him. Feeling as if he were intruding he opened the small purse slowly, gently extracting some crumpled bills, a compact and tube of lip gloss before a small slip of paper that simply said "Brett, 555-3182" with a heart drawn underneath it. Seeing nothing else in the bag he gently slipped everything back in the purse and returned it to the bag and into the box.

Having saved the hardest part for last he slowly opened the evidence bag that contained the jumpdrive, plugged it into the USB port on his laptop and waited as the computer sensed it and pulled up the menu. Double-checking to make sure his door was still closed, he selected the play audio option from the menu and waited. Jumping as he heard the loud music start to blare some unrecognizable beat, he turned the speakers down as the song continued. He lost track of time as he listened to several tracks of the same unrecognizable tunes until he could detect the change in tone and volume and increased the volume again, the laughter of the girls almost like a knife to his heart as he heard their voices.

"Hey I want to listen to country." A young girls voice that Grissom assumed to be Lizzie's, since he didn't recognize it, rang out into his quiet office.

"I'm trying to drive here." The more terse tones of her older sister cut in to interrupt her sisters sentence.

"We can't make a recording on this thing singing to country." Lindsey's said as she joined the argument, her voice causing Grissom's eyes to close as he continued to listen.

"Guys, I'm trying to drive, jeez." Elena Schaeffer said again, obviously irritated at the commotion. "I wish I'd never agreed to chauffer you two kids around."

"You had to, remember, or I'd have told Mom and Dad how you and Bobby Jenson were doing a little more than just watching a movie on the sofa Saturday night." Lizzie giggled, obviously pleased to have such good blackmail material. "Now you're driving too slow, c'mon, the speed limits 55 until we get into the city." She urged.

"Fine, but if I get a speeding ticket I'm going to make *you* pay for it." Elena retorted before the faint sound of the car starting to accelerate could be heard.

"Come on guys, stop fighting. We need to hurry up at the mall and get back before lunch is over." Lindsey said, trying to get the two girls to stop arguing.

"Ok, whatever." Lizzie finally sighed in agreement. "So what song are we going to record on this cool iPod my sister got for Christmas?" She giggled again as she began flipping through radio channels.

"You'd better not break it." Elena threatened, obviously not thrilled at having her kid sister and friend playing with her new iPod.

Grissom listened as the laughing and debates continued as they roamed various radio stations until they apparently found one they could agree on.

"Hey I like this one," Lizzie squealed excitedly as Grissom heard a somewhat familiar tune starting.

"Oh, I do to, especially since Madonna remade it." Lindsey agreed. "Going to join us Elena?" She asked right before the song started and they began to sing along with it.

Grissom could feel the lump growing in his throat as the words to the song began. He listened almost reverently as the three girls started to sing along with it, obviously just having fun with the recorder as they giggled and laughed throughout their attempt to follow along with the song. His gut tightened as they again reached the unknowingly prophetic chorus at the end of the song.

"Bye, bye Miss American Pie  
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry  
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye  
Singin' this'll be the day that I die  
This'll be the day that I die."

The laughter continued even as the song faded out from the radio as they talked about how they needed to do another song. The radio search was apparently on again when sound from the car told Grissom that the final moments had begun. He wanted to turn it off as he knew what was coming, but was frozen in his chair, unable to do anything but listen as he was absorbed into the drama unfolding in the car.

"Sis, you're moving to far towards the curb." Lizzie screeched in apparent alarm. Grissom could hear the car almost groan as the steering wheel was pulled sharply before being followed by the sound of tires squealing. Grissom could almost visualize Elena desperately trying to regain control. There was a loud sickening thud that could only be the sound of a car hitting a curb too fast. Grissom could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks even as the screams began. The screams were unintelligible as they heightened in intensity and volume as the girls apparently realized that they were going to hit the wall. Grissom's eyes flew open as he heard what he knew to be Lindsey's sobbing voice scream out "Mommy" just before the sound of crunching metal and breaking glass was heard.

The rest of the recording was lost to Grissom as he surrendered to the overwhelming sorrow that consumed him and did something he hadn't done in a many years - he wept. Not a quiet dignified sniffle but gut wrenching uncontrollable sobs. This continued for several minutes until he felt his sense of awareness return and could feel another presence in the room. He was suddenly flooded with a feeling of embarrassment as he hastily tried to dry his eyes before looking up to see Sara watching him. He had apparently not heard when she entered his office to check on him after the team had started to get worried about the length of time he had been in there. He was waiting for the look of amusement or pity that might come with seeing a grown man crying like a baby, especially the generally reserved supervisor of the night shift, but instead all he saw was a look of understanding.

"I'm sorry," he tried to apologize, wincing as he heard the gravelly tone in his voice before he cleared his throat.

"Sorry for what?" Sara looked at him strangely. "You don't think the whole lab was crying after hearing that recording. Relax, it means you're human," Sara added gently as she gave him a quick reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'll go tell the guys you're ok." She added as she moved to the door, stopping as she saw that Grissom continued to look embarrassed and thoroughly unconvinced about what she had said.

"Seriously Gris, it's OK....we all cried, even Hodges had tears in his eyes and he didn't know any of the girls. You were closer to Catherine and Lindsey then any of us. It's OK for you to grieve also," she assured him one last time, and with those parting words left Gil alone in his office.

He stared at the door, still shaky from the force of the recording, knowing for sure that it would be a long time, if ever, before Catherine could handle listening to it herself.


	7. Chapter 7

The team of crime scene investigators felt slightly awkward as they approached Catherine's home the next day after finishing shift and going home to clean up and change clothes. Grissom was more anxious than anyone else to see how his friend was holding up. He was more than a little perturbed at the lack of communication from Nancy; she had only given him the important details (in her mind), such as the dates and times of visitation and funeral. He knew the funeral had been scheduled for the weekend and was only two days away, but he didn't know how Catherine was dealing with her grief. How she was sleeping? Was she eating? Was she staying in bed all the time? The questions swarmed in his mind as he voluntarily took the lead and approached the door with the team close in his wake.

Even though he had noted several vehicles outside, he was not prepared for the sight before his eyes when Nancy opened the door and welcomed them in. There were more people in the house than he would have thought the small house capable of holding. The dining room was literally piled high with food as people stood around talking and visiting and there were even several small children running around. "Where's Catherine?" He finally asked Nancy, unable to see her among all the visitors.

"She's in her room, I tried to get her to come out but she's still sleeping." Nancy said, shrugging.

Grissom thought he knew full well why Catherine was staying hidden away in her room. The family and friends gathered there meant well, he was sure, but it still had to be smothering, especially at a time like this. Ignoring the looks of curiosity from others in the room he approached her door, knocking gently before opening it slowly. "Cath, you awake?" He asked softly as he looked at her quiet form.

"Gil?" She replied slowly, turning to look at him, relief apparent on her features.

"Hey you," he said softly as he moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed and waiting as she pulled herself upright and let herself be enveloped into his friendly hug. "I've got the team outside waiting to talk to you." He added after pulling back, noting her drawn features and the circles that had developed under her eyes.

"Ok," she acknowledged, but didn't move as she eagerly soaked up the warmth and comfort his body had to offer. Grissom didn't move, he could feel her body relaxing from his embrace and realized this comfort was something she needed that he could do. For a minute he didn't feel completely helpless as he gently stroked her hair while she kept her face buried into his chest. For several moments they just sat there, no words needed as they communicated silently.

As he continued to stroke her hair, Grissom realized how much he enjoyed holding her like this. It wasn't something he had been able to do very often. The thought had scarcely crossed his mind before he began scolding himself for the direction his thoughts were trying to take.

Catherine drank in the calmness that seemed to emanate from the strong arms surrounding her, the pain and grief was still there, but listening to his heart beating steadily against her ear, made her feel safe and loved as he simply held and comforted her. She couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between his simple comfort and the futile attempts of her family thus far to reach her.

After a few more moments of resting in his embrace Catherine reluctantly pulled away, knowing that she would soon fall apart in his arms if this continued. She also knew that the rest of the team was waiting on her. "I guess I should go see the team, they must be pretty packed in with that crowd out there." She observed.

"It is pretty busy outside." Grissom acknowledged. "Who are all those people?" he had to ask, he knew Catherine's family hadn't been that big.

"I've lost count, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, friends of Mom's and Nancy's. I know they care and they're all trying to be supportive, but…" she paused…. "but they're not really *my* friends." She lamented as she soaked up the presence of her friend.

"Then I've got an idea." Grissom stated after a moment. "Why don't you take a few minutes to get ready and then we'll all take you out to eat."

"But I'm not hungry and there's plenty of food here…." Catherine began, not comprehending what he was trying to do.

"The operative word is *out*," he said with a brief smile as he rose. We'll be waiting in the living room.

"That sounds perfect." She said, not quite smiling, but looking grateful for the suggestion.

Grissom returned to the living room to see his team still huddled together, almost protectively, amidst the throng of people. "She'll be out in a minute and I said we'd take her out to eat." He informed them, his voice low as he conveyed the information.

"Hope she comes out soon." Sara whispered back, clearly uncomfortable at being among all the strangers, none of them had seemed very welcoming yet. Even the usually outgoing Greg seemed a bit withdrawn as he absentmindedly studied the walls. The sound of the bedroom door opening alerted everyone as Catherine emerged. Simply clad in jeans and a loose t-shirt she approached the team, savoring the comfort as they began to take turns hugging her, even the usually standoffish Sara gave her a big hug, sympathy evident in her eyes as she did so. Catherine continued hugging the rest of the team until all of them had had the opportunity to give a hug and a word of sympathy.

"Cath, I'm glad you felt like coming out." Nancy and her mother both moved towards her in unison to pull her into a hug. "Now you can meet everyone who's here…." She began as she started to gesture to a couple on her right.

"Actually we're taking Catherine out to lunch." Grissom stepped up to her side, quickly rescuing her from the situation and ignoring the disproving look that her sister gave them.

"I'll be back soon." Catherine managed to say over her shoulder as she broke through the group and led the way to the door, taking a deep breath when she reached the driveway, she could tell they had parked across the street due to all the cars in her yard. She looked at them expectantly, for once, just waiting for them to decide what was next.

"How about you and Grissom follow us?" Warrick finally said as the other four CSI's moved to the other Denali that he had driven from work. There didn't seem to be any argument as everyone piled into their respective vehicles.

Catherine was quiet as she automatically pulled on her seatbelt and watched the road while Grissom started up the vehicle. They rode in silence for a few minutes, simply following Warrick as the group ahead had apparently decided on a place to eat.

"I really appreciate all of you coming." Catherine finally said, her voice still tight with emotion.

"We would have been here sooner if we could." Grissom answered honestly. "Everyone's been asking about you."

"I know, my family can just be protective sometimes." She said, knowing no further explanation was needed.

"They mean well." Grissom added, masking his unhappiness at the way the family had kept them away from her at first, deep down knowing they did care for her. The last thing he wanted was for Catherine to feel caught in any battles between her friends and family right now.

"Greg must have picked the place to eat." She observed as they all pulled up at the Hard Rock Cafe.

"If you want to go somewhere else we can." Grissom offered immediately.

"No I don't really care, as I said earlier I'm not really hungry." Catherine repeated herself as the group walked towards the restaurant.


	8. Chapter 8

Since no one was really hungry, they all crowded into a booth and simply ordered a large combo platter to nibble on with their drinks while they visited. The time flew as the team began talking about the things going on at the lab, keeping the topics to the more mundane and comedic details instead of relating any tragic cases. Catherine knew they hadn't forgotten about Lindsey as they had already expressed condolences and promises to help her in any way they could. She was extremely grateful for the chance to think about something else, even if only for an hour or so. Gil was content to sit back and watch the team as they talked, chiming in a few times to contribute a story, but for the most part simply observing. He was proud of Sara, he realized, as he saw a rarely displayed softer side of her while she was speaking to Catherine.

"So I took the trace to Hodges and all he could tell me was…" Sara's voice suddenly faltered. Grissom looked at her strangely, wondering what had changed. It was obvious that something was affecting the younger CSI as she stumbled over the rest of her story. Looking around the table he noticed the change in facial expressions, as if they had all been struck by a fresh wave of grief. Just as he was about to ask what had happened it suddenly struck him as he heard the background music for the first time, his own eyes closing for a moment before he pulled himself together before Catherine could see his reaction.

"Did I miss something?" Catherine looked at the assembled crew, confusion evident in her own eyes as she watched them. "We uhh., just started thinking about Lindsey." Warrick said, semi-truthfully, leaving out the role the song in the background had played in it. Grissom was trying in vain to block out the memories of the recording dialogue as he listened to Don McLean's version of "American Pie" playing in the background of the cafe, they were fortunately saved from further explanation by the arrival of Jim Brass, who had made time in his busy schedule to join his friends. Not catching the tune in the background or its significance he was oblivious to what was affecting the team. But his focus was solely on Catherine as he scooted in at the table, he had always thought of her as a good friend. In moments of weakness he had dreamed of her as being more than a friend, even though he knew it would never happen. It didn't take a detective to know that there was only one man who could claim her heart if he ever had the nerve to try.

The party of friends continued their chatting until a stifled yawn from Catherine drew their attention to the time and the realization that shift started in a couple more hours. After another round of hugs and promises to be there for her any way they could, the team dissipated until it only Catherine, Jim and Grissom were left.

Jim felt awful about not getting to spend much time with Catherine after her loss. It was one of the hardest things Jim had ever done, conveying what happened with Lindsey in the wreck. It tore his heart out to see Cath trying to cope with the loss of her daughter. He found little consolation in the fact that Gil was there for her and wished it was him holding her and comforting her, not Gil. At least he could take solace in the fact that he knew Gil and could trust him, unlike the other parade of men in and out of her life. He sighed with reluctance when his radio came to life and signaled the need for him to return to duty. He pulled Catherine into his arms and held her as he whispered words of support and condolance. He tightened his embrace as he felt her cling to him and fight to maintain her composure. They both took a deep breath and moved apart, but not before Cath kissed him on the cheek and whispered her thanks. He took one last look at her, shook Gil's hand and nodded as he headed back to his car.

"I don't want to go back there," she said with a heavy sigh as Grissom started to pull out of the parking lot.

"You don't have too." He replied instantly, willing to do anything she requested right now. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go," he offered, slowing the vehicle as he waited for her command.

"Thanks," she said with a sad smile, "but I can't do that to Nancy and Mom."

"Cath, this is not about them, it's about you." He said, frustrated that even at a time like this she would continue to put the needs of others before her own.

"You don't understand, if I'm not there…." The ringing of her cell phone halted her explanation. "You're kidding…. Thanks for letting me know….. You're right, I can't deal with that now…… "I'll stay with one of my friends for now, call me when he leaves… Thanks sis." Catherine's end of the conversation certainly had Gil wondering when she hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" He couldn't help but ask as she dropped her phone back into her purse with an annoyed sigh.

"Sam Braun is there waiting for me." She responded in a clipped tone. "I'm sure he means well, but I don't feel ready to face him now. I don't have the energy to deal with this." She admitted with a defeated tone as she looked out the passenger window, deep in thought.

Grissom waited a few minutes as they drove, waiting to see if she would give further instruction. As they passed her house and saw the limousine parked in front, she turned back from the window, "no I just can't do it." She said with a tone of finality.

"Where would you like to go?" Grissom asked softly, willing to take her to the moon if she asked him.

"Would you mind if I crashed at your place for a little while, until I get the all clear signal?" she asked, looking forward to being able to relax in the quiet of his townhouse for a little while before returning to the crowd at her house.

"Not at all," he replied, almost smiling for a second from the happiness of knowing he didn't have to let go of her again, not yet.


End file.
